Barr Slams 'Irresponsible Press' for Pushing 'Bogus' Trump-Russia Narrative
Barr slams media for pushing false narrative
© press
Attorney General William Barr slammed the media for pushing the "bogus narrative" about the Trump-Russia controversy, arguing it has done a disservice to the country.
Barr accused the press of painting a misleading narrative about President Trump just a day after the release of a Justice Department watchdog assessment of the Russia investigation.
Barr told NBC News' Pete Williams on Tuesday:
“Our nation was turned on its head for three years, I think, based on a completely bogus narrative that was largely fanned and hyped by an irresponsible press."
Following the long-awaited release of Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report on Monday, the media focused on how Horowitz determined there was adequate cause for the FBI's counterintelligence probe into the Trump campaign.
© press
Barr, who is currently overseeing a separate inquiry into the origins of Russia investigation, said the limits inherent in an inspector general review means it would be premature to make a final determination on the matter.
In October, Barr also launched an investigation into allegations that Joe Biden abused his position as VP to protect his son's company that was being investigated by Ukraine's top prosecutor.
Democrats have accused Barr of going out of his way to defend Trump while defending political rivals, which was more explicitly critical in his appraisal of the FBI's actions.
“There were gross abuses of FISA and inexplicable behavior that is intolerable in the FBI,” he continued.
Barr explains what John Durham is looking at. There is some things that wasn’t included in the Horowitz report. pic.twitter.com/10GRhYPdwh
— The “Dirty” Truth (@AKA_RealDirty) December 10, 2019
© press
"I think that leaves open the possibility that there was bad faith."
Additionally, on Monday's release of the IG report, evidence emerged proving that former President Barack Obama was involved in the early stages of the anti-Trump Russia Probe.
While the Department of Justice inspector general's report can’t conclude whether to prosecute for crimes, it can determine proper or improper conduct regarding the rules of the agency and recommend changes.
“The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken,” Barr said in a statement.
“It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory,” Barr said.
